What a good sport Danny is, don’t you think? I picked this up at the craft store and I am sending it to Jana in her surprise Halloween package (which is no longer a surprise once she reads this).

Please note the two day stubble on his chin. Which leads me to the nostalgia of Halloweens past and the fact that my ‘baby’ friggin shaves!

Today was the little neighborhood Halloween parade on my street. Or I think it was but we were at a soccer game so the only evidence was the police barriers left behind. When did Gary and I stop running this sweet little parade?

Was it not just yesterday that Danny begged to be a cowboy, wore the costume all month and then the day of Halloween lost his mind and insisted he had to be a Ninja? Wasn’t Jana just wearing that cute little Devil with the Blue Dress On costume that I made her? Was she not walking down the street in the bluebird costume with my in-laws wearing fake noses and glasses (they were always such good sports).

Ok, so this sounds a little too Sunrise, Sunset? I know, but I am not done yet so if this is too sappy for you I will be back tomorrow with something crude again (um, Dr. Jimmy, that could mean you).

Seriously, I just miss those bedlam trick or treat evenings with the kids running in all directions and the dogs barking. I loved walking from house to house with them (especially Linda’s where the parents got a glass of wine while the kids got their candy). We always seemed to lose one kid for a little while (hmmmm, could have been the wine from Linda’s house) but they would turn up eventually. I miss that nauseous feeling of too many dips into the kids’ candy bags and how great the pizza tasted after all that sugar.

I miss staying up all night to make costumes when they were little and years later being the house the girls came to when they made their own because we had the best craft supplies. And I miss them sleeping over and taking pictures in my driveway and then driving off to school in their costumes together. (Sloany, Rik, you could be crying about now, no?)

I am usually good with this growing up thing, but Halloween? How much is a sentimental mom supposed to suck up?

Shana and Harrison are available. When would you like us to drop them off and how long can they stay. 🙂 🙂
Ivy, do you agree? I can drop them off on Friday when I get back from Florida and we can have the weekend!

You should do what we do! Put luminaries out on your front walk and driveway. Trick or treaters can see your house from a mile away. We just love getting visited by the neighborhood kids on Halloween night — it is fun to see them grow up from year to year.

My own are 7, 5, and 3… so I have a while to wait until we’re worried about shaving…. We’re still in the swing of costuming, and they can still be spooked by little things like spider rings. What fun! I try to be sure to feel grateful for every minute.

Thanks for the post. (And your son looks darling. If his friends see this photo, maybe he’ll be the one crying…) 😉